As we move into the summer period, we wanted to provide members with an update on a number of issues currently occupying the branch. Much of our work at present is focused on negotiations, policy scrutiny, member casework, and ensuring that the university follows proper processes when making decisions that affect staff.

1. Health and Wellbeing Event Wed 24 June
2. Policy Changes and Governance Concerns
3. Disability, Reasonable Adjustments, and Timetabling
4. PRIEP Research Allocations and Appeals
5. Academic Career Framework
6. Annual Leave Concerns for Grade 10+ Staff
7. Recognition Agreement Negotiations

Health and Wellbeing Event Wed 24 June

Research and Innovation Services is hosting an ECR wellbeing event 2-5pm, Wednesday 24th June, Talbot Campus, K103.

All ECRs (including PGRs) are welcome. Take a creative break for your wellbeing & consider how to incorporate wellbeing activities into your usual routine. Activities will include:

• Colouring
• Drawing
• Writing
• Sand Lego
• or bring your own creative activity

Book your place here. Subject to space availability; tea and coffee will be provided. Supported by the Research Culture and Community Grant, RIS.

Policy Changes and Governance Concerns

Over the last few weeks, the branch has discovered evidence that the university has made changes to policies that were originally negotiated and agreed with the recognised trade unions in 2018.

At present, it appears that these changes were not negotiated with the unions, were not formally agreed, and were not appropriately documented through the processes set out in our agreements with the university. More concerningly, these changes appear to have been implemented and relied upon in practice, potentially affecting staff over a number of months.

We regard this as a significant governance issue. The branch has formally requested documentation relating to these changes, including records of approval, consultation, and implementation. We are currently awaiting the university’s response and justification for these actions. We will keep members informed as more information becomes available.

Disability, Reasonable Adjustments, and Timetabling

The branch continues to represent a significant number of members experiencing difficulties in obtaining appropriate reasonable adjustments. These cases cover both temporary and permanent disabilities and, in some instances, involve the withdrawal or modification of adjustments that had previously been agreed.

We continue to remind the university that reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement, not a discretionary benefit. We are therefore challenging cases where adjustments are delayed, inadequately implemented, or removed without appropriate consultation.

Members have also raised concerns regarding timetabling adjustments. Several colleagues have reported submitting their adjustment requirements through the normal process but have subsequently been told that they will not know whether those adjustments have been accommodated until much later in the timetable development process. This uncertainty makes planning work, caring responsibilities, travel arrangements, and health management extremely difficult.

We raised these concerns directly with the university at the most recent Joint Interest Group meeting and are awaiting a formal response.

If you are experiencing difficulties around your disabilities and/or reasonable adjustments, please reach out to us: General Reporting Form or Casework Form.

PRIEP Research Allocations and Appeals

The branch continues to receive concerns regarding research allocations under the PRIEP process and the associated appeals procedure.

We are particularly keen to hear from members whose appeals were successful. We are hearing regularly from colleagues whose appeals were rejected, but to understand the process properly we also need to hear about appeals that were upheld.

We would also like to hear from members who felt unable to engage fully with the process because of the extremely compressed timescales involved. Many colleagues reported that they did not have sufficient time to understand the implications of the process, gather evidence, prepare appeals, or seek advice before deadlines expired.

If you have concerns regarding research allocations, PRIEP decisions, or the appeals process, please contact your faculty representative or complete the member reporting form.

We are already supporting a number of members on these issues and are using this evidence to challenge both the PRIEP process and the Workload Planning Framework that sits behind it.

Academic Career Framework

Negotiations on the proposed Academic Career Framework (ACF) are continuing.

While the university held consultation workshops with staff and discussions with the unions, the framework itself was not co-written or co-developed with the recognised trade unions. Instead, a draft was presented to us at the end of May with an expectation that agreement would be reached by mid-June.

Unfortunately, the draft presented to us did not adequately address a number of key issues and was not something we believed could responsibly be recommended to members. We have therefore provided extensive written feedback and discussed our concerns directly with the university in multiple meetings. We are now awaiting a revised draft.

Members should be reassured that, unlike the Workload Planning Framework, implementation of the Academic Career Framework requires trade union agreement. We will not present any proposal to members unless we believe it represents a meaningful improvement and provides an appropriate basis for career progression.

The ACF is closely linked to promotion and pay progression arrangements. We remain deeply concerned that there will be no promotion or pay progression round during 2026-27. The university has repeatedly linked future promotion opportunities to its financial position, despite the significant impact this prolonged suspension is having on staff careers, earnings, and morale. We will continue to challenge the university on this issue.

Annual Leave Concerns for Grade 10+ Staff

A concern was raised at the AGM regarding annual leave calculations for some Grade 10+ colleagues.

Members reported that when annual leave accounting moved to the August-August cycle from the April-April cycle, there may have been discrepancies in how leave balances were transferred and recorded within the system.

We are currently seeking further information and would encourage any affected members to contact the branch so that we can better understand the scale of the issue and raise it appropriately with the university.

Recognition Agreement Negotiations

The branch is currently negotiating a new Recognition Agreement with the university.

The existing agreement is decades old and no longer reflects the realities of the modern university or contemporary industrial relations practice. Earlier this year, both the branch and the university exchanged draft proposals, and we have now provided detailed feedback on the university’s version. We are currently awaiting a revised draft and expect negotiations to continue over the coming months.

Alongside these negotiations, we continue to await a number of policy documents that the university indicated it wished to update. Despite proposals to implement revised policies by September 2026, the university has yet to provide draft documents for negotiation.

Given the concerns outlined above regarding unapproved policy changes, we will be paying particularly close attention to policy governance, consultation, and negotiation processes in the coming months. Members should be assured that we will continue to scrutinise proposed changes carefully and challenge any attempt to bypass agreed procedures.

As always, if you have concerns, evidence, or experiences that may help the branch’s work, please get in touch with your representatives. Much of our ability to challenge poor processes and secure improvements depends on the information members are willing to share with us.